A New Year!

 

Jared and I are expecting God to do great things over the next year in His ministry at THE OAKS! 

We rang in the new year in Indiana with my family, before heading back to California on New Year’s Day.  We had a great Christmas and we were able to see lots of family and friends.  Our family and church in Winona Lake even threw a baby shower for Micah—what a huge blessing! 

January 3rd was a special day for us…we celebrated our five year anniversary!!  Jared took me with an “anniversary hike” on the same section of the Pacific Crest Trail where he proposed to me five and a half years ago!  It looked quite different now, having been burned by a wildfire several years ago and being covered in snow.   And just like the day we got engaged, Jared surprised me with a ring at the top of the mountain!   Its been fun to reflect on the past five years and see how far God has brought our relationship, and how He has been refining us through our marriage. 

Over Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, THE OAKS hosted our annual Winter Retreat.  Two hundred and fifty teens and leaders from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Fresno all came to the retreat.  Our theme this year was “Follow Me:  The Way, the Truth, the Life.”  God really used the weekend to speak to the students’ hearts—some decided to follow Him for the first time, and others were challenged to keep on following, even when things get rough.  Jared was busy overseeing the media side of the sessions, and I planned and helped out with the crafts that were offered during the afternoons.  Micah’s role was hanging out and flirting with all the girls! :)

This past week our staff took off to Ironwood Camp in the middle of the Mojave Desert for a western-style retreat!  It was a great time of having fun (especially when we had relay races on horseback), enjoying our staff family, and refocusing on where God has us going in the next year.  Paul Chan, director of World Impact San Francisco, was our speaker.  One of the things that was talked about was a plan of opening a men’s home here at THE OAKS for men who are being discipled by World Impact’s ministry in San Francisco.  The men would come live here for a while, escaping the temptations of the city, gaining valuable work experience, and being further discipled through mentor relationships and Bible classes.  We are so excited about these plans and how God is opening doors to allow our new facilities to be used in a way that fulfills the calling He has put on our camp.  Please be praying about this as the directors meet, work out the details, and come up with a timeline for when this could begin.

February is a busy month for us!  This week we are heading to Santa Barbara to recruit summer staff at Westmont College (and to spend some time with Jared’s brother and sister-in-law).  The following week we are traveling down to San Diego to recruit at Point Loma Nazarene.  From February 21-March 3, we will be heading back to Indiana to connect with some of our supporters and recruit for the summer program.  Please be praying for us during these travels, that they will be fruitful and help expand our ministry!

 

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!